Spotlight on Produced Water Reuse
Unconventional oil and gas production generates large volumes of waste from well operations, colloquially called produced water. This water can be difficult to dispose of, as it contains various salts, hydrocarbons, organics, metals, naturally occurring radioactive material and other contaminants.
States and operators are looking for opportunities to safely reuse treated produced water for irrigation, dust suppression and aquifer recharge. However, regulatory requirements are generally lacking for produced water reuse due in part to difficulties with characterizing the water quality. Therefore, it remains challenging for states to set treatment requirements and quantify technology performance.
Several states that are interested in reusing produced water established research consortiums to coordinate with stakeholders and identify and develop sound data that can guide future decision-making. Notably, the EPA’s collaboration with the New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium emphasizes a risk/toxicology-based characterization of produced water to inform treatment guidance for produced water reuse. The EPA’s Office of Research and Development is helping to define analysis protocols and characterize targeted and new approaches for produced water treatment and reuse. Additionally, the EPA Office of Water is leading a new study of the regulations at 40 CFR 435 Subpart E of the Oil and Gas Extraction Effluent Guidelines. These regulations allow for discharge of produced water from onshore facilities into navigable waters west of the 98th meridian if the produced water has a use in agriculture or wildlife propagation. The study will inform whether updates to the Subpart E regulations are warranted.
The EPA also supports research efforts by serving as subject-matter experts on a range of topics, including treatment evaluation, risk management, methods/tool development and data curation, to further understand the nature of produced water and hydraulic fracturing chemicals. Learn more about produced water research through the following WRAP actions:
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Action 3.8: Assess Regulatory Programs for Produced Water Reuse
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Action 4.2: Implement New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium
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Action 5.10: Identify In-Field Uses for Water Produced During Oil and Gas Operations
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